A blog about genealogy and thoughts about the various roots and branches of my family tree as well as the times in which my ancestors lived.Included are the West, White,and McFarland families.WARNING:DO NOT TAKE ALL OF MY FAMILY RECORDS AS GOSPEL. ALWAYS CONFIRM YOUR OWN RESEARCH!

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Saturday, October 31, 2009

I don’t play any musical instruments and I can’t carry a tune in agedcom file. When I lamented on Facebook about the fact that Ihad no post for the next Carnival of Genealogy, some of my geneabloggerfriends suggested I post about the “49 Genealogical Uses for a Flutaphone.”

This series started as a humorous challenge from Janice Brown of“Cow Hampshire.” She posted her dream genealogy blog complete withsessions hosted by her fellow geneabloggers on topics she assigned. We inturn were supposed to post something for those “sessions” on our own blogs.

Finding 49 Genealogical Uses for a Flutaphones is not an easy assignment and asyou can see I got off to a way off topic start. But eventually, with the help ofJanice, Apple, Terry Thornton, and Schelly Talalay Dardashti, I completed the listsix months later. In fact, you’ll notice it’s actually fifty uses, since there’s two #29’s!

So here it is, for the first time, the collected, complete 49 Genealogical Uses for aFlutaphone!

Hmm. They may take votes away from me on the FamilyTree magazine Top 40Genealogy Blogs poll for subjecting the genealogy community to this once again!

1. Doorstop- It’s more humane than using dead catsor dead Wesley Crushers. And it smells better.

5. A defensive weapon-For when that librarian finallysnaps when you ask her to find another dusty volume inthe stacks. Mouthpieces on flutaphones are pointy!!!

6. A diversion: used to exit an overly proprietary historicalsociety. Make some noise behind the bookshelf with it, andwhile the volunteer is investigating the noise, grab yourfirst born child (the one being held hostage to make sureyou don't steal anything) and run like hell. (Janice)

7. Learn a snake charmers tune and play it when you needto hypnotize a records clerk to get them to check the booksone more time for that record you KNOW is there.(apple)

8. A pry-bar, to break into old file drawers that have beenholding your genealogical notes from 20 years ago. You'vemoved a few times, and lost the key. (Janice)

9. Flower holder- for when you visit the ancestral grave.Stick sharp pointy mouthpiece into the ground and yourflowers into the other end of the flutaphone.

10. Bookmark-When you have to leave your chair for amoment to ask the librarian to find you another genealogybook in the stacks use the flutaphone to mark your place.NOTE- DO NOT LET THE LIBRARIAN SEE YOU DOTHIS!!

11. Bookfetcher- That particular tome on a shelf you can’tquite reach? Using the pointy mouthpiece end, gently rockthe book loose and down.

12. Bookcatcher- See above. Quickly reverse theflutaphone to catch the falling book on the wide-endedmouth. If the librarian notices, tell her you are practicingbalancing the books.

13. Eartrumpet- For when a librarian starts yelling. Insertnarrow end in ear after REMOVING the pointy mouthpiece.Remember, catch any books before they hit the floor if youwere performing uses numbers 11 and/or 12 when thelibrarian started yelling. Turn wide end towards librarianand say “Eh?”

14.backpatter - to pat your own back when you havesolved a particularly difficult family genealogical mystery.Caution: do not run while performing this action, or youmay put your eye out. (Janice)

16. Distress Signal- IF you become lost in the stacks of amajor genealogical library, DO NOT PANIC! Use yourflutaphone to summon help by blowing as hard as you canon through the mouthpiece. A series of the highest andmost shrill notes will be most efficacious and a friendlylibrarian will arrive to escort you safely back to your chair.

17. Car Buddy-it easily slips over your car antenna (you AREstill driving the vehicle you bought in 1960 right?) and helpsyou to locate your vintage auto in the research library parking lot(when you leave the library all bleary-eyed). (Janice)

18. Hidden Message DeCoder- It is a long held deep darksecret that when a flutaphone is held lengthwise under abright light over a line of text that certain words in the textare illuminated to reveal hidden messages only you can see.It is recommended you only employ this method when thereis no one else present nearby who might steal the secretmessage. Send the librarian back into the stacks first foranother obscure text to ensure they will not see you!

19. Treasure Finder- Another little known fact is that whena flutaphone is held in a certain way outside on a brightsunshiny day while the holder nonchalantly hums “I CanSee Clearly Now” the reflection of the flutaphone willreveal the spot where buried treasure is hidden. There havebeen recent reports of genealogy bloggers wandering aboutNorthern New England employing this technique whilesearching for the legendary Money Pit. No one had found ityet but there have been complaints from angry hunters whoclaim “the damn humming scared all the deer away!”

21. Nautical Distress Signal- If you should be accidentallybumped overboard from the Genealogy Cruise ship orset adrift in a lifeboat during the lifeboat drill. Keep theflutaphone dry and periodically blow a series of high shrillnotes to help rescuers locate you.

23. Icebreaker- Use the sharp flutaphone mouthpiece to chipaway at the ice forming around your lifeboat. Reciting your pedigreewhile chipping might make the time go faster.

24.Paddle- Use the flutaphone to help propel your lifeboat after theGenealogy Cruise ship. Note- If you were accidentally bumped overboardforget paddling. Grasp the flutaphone firmly in your teeth so you don’tlose it and swim after the ship instead!

25. Safety Device- Once you’ve been rescued, use the flutaphone to ensureyou remain safely aboard afterward by keeping your fellow genealogistsat least one flutaphone length away from you on deck. Hold the sharpmouthpiece end outwards towards them at all times!

26 Snake charmer - play it when you see scary snakes in the cemetery,where you happen to be browsing for your ancestor's stones. Heck,it works in the movies! (Janice)

27. Measuring instrument- To measure the amount of snowfallwhen you visit the grave of 3x great uncle Oswald, as in,

"I had difficulty in finding Oswald's headstone as the grave wasburied in snow over two flutaphones deep!"

28. Measuring instrument(summer)- in genealogy cemetery searchesduring the summer: Just how long was that snake among theheadstones? How many flutaphones long? (Terry)

#29 Baton- What could be more appropriate to use when you'releading the Genealogist’s Parade in the immortal musical“The Genealogy Man?”

29 Decoration- as a holder for broccoli sprouts onSchelly’s float in the Genealogists Parade. (Schelly)

30 Prybar- To help remove your backside from the chairyou’ve been sitting in for hours as you stare at the screen ofthe computer tracking an elusive ancestor.

#31 Physical therapy- When your hands and wrists begin toache from hours of typing, do the following exercise: hold theflutaphone with both hands at either end and extend yourarms straight out, hands palm side down and flex your wristsdownward. after three repetitions, turn your hands palmsside up and still grasping the flutaphone, flex your wristsback towards your chest. Repeat three times Then stillgrasping the flutaphone bend your arms up and down overhead and then thrust them out and in vigorously in front ofyour chest. (WARNING:DO NOT DO THIS WHILE SITTINGWITHIN ARMS’ LENGTH OF YOUR COMPUTERMONITOR!!) Not only is this therapeutic but it is goodpractice for...

#33 Genealogy CD holder- Crazy glue a flutaphone firmlyto the top of your computer desk (vertically so the mouth piece is at the top). The open center of your genealogy CDsshould fit over the mouthpiece, with some room to spare).(Janice)

34. Genealogists’ Parade Prop-Musical Accompaniment-to the song “15 Miles on the Erie canal” on Apple’s float.

38. Moose Defense- As the snow melts and old cemeteriesin more remote northern regions become accessible, usecaution when approaching those sites that might be in areaswhere brush and trees are thick. Give several loud notes onyour flutaphone to warn off any mooses (or its that meece?)in the area of your approach and hopefully you will scarethem away. If on the other hand you see a large mooseapproaching with an amorous glint in its eye, use a differentsequence of notes. Quickly. If that fails, run.

39. Goose Defense- Use the flutaphone to ward off flocks ofCanadian geese that might be attracted by your attempts atwarding off the moose.

40. Bear Defense- If as you retreat from the cemeteryback to the safety of your car you should encounter a blackbear, try using the pointed mouthpiece end of your flutaphoneto tickle the bear while saying “kitchy kitch koo.” Then run.(Warning: Should this be successful, remember to thoroughlywash the mouthpiece before playing the flutaphone again. Youdon’t know what sort of germs may lurk in a bear’s armpit.)

41. Surrender Flag- If there are hunters in the vicinity whomistake your flutaphone notes for the mating calls of Canadiangeese and they start shooting in your direction, quickly tiesome length of cloth to the end of your flutaphone and wavethe flag vigorously while screaming: “I am a human being!I am NOT a goose!” (Warning: Do not do this if you arealready being chased by an amorous moose and a non-ticklishbear. In that instance, the smart thing to do is to just keeprunning.)

42. Genealogy Record Retrieval- When you are certain thatthe moose, bear, geese and hunters are gone, return to thecemetery and use the pointed end of the flutaphone tohygienically pick up whatever is left of the paperwork youmight have dropped and upon which the moose, bear,geese, and hunters might have left signs of their extremedispleasure in the encounter.

43.Unit of Measurement- Use your flutaphone to measure thedepth of the water in your basement caused by the RainStorms of `08. Confound future generations of familyhistorians by writing an entry in your daily journal:

"The neighborhood flooded and there was water 8 flutaphones deep downstairs.”

45. Family Reunion Picnic Bug Repellent- Useflutaphones as citronella candle holders. Stick the sharpend in the ground and balance the candles on the widemouth end.

46. Family Reunion Game Part Replacement- If forsome reason the goalstick thingy from the croquet setshould be missing, the flutaphone can be used as asubstitute! Again, sharp end into the ground!

47. Family Reunion Etiquette Instruction Device-When two or more of your younger relatives reach forthe last piece of cornbread for themselves, rap theirwrists gently and firmly while commenting on the lack ofmanners in their generation. Then, reverse the flutaphonefor the next step…

48. Family Reunion Food Fetcher- Use the flutaphoneto pull the plate with the last piece of cornbread closer toyou. If someone else tries to take the last piece, spear itwith the mouthpiece.(NOTE-Be sure you have cleanedoff the mouthpiece end if you have used it as a citronellacandle holder or as part of the croquet game.))

and FINALLY….

49. Family Reunion Picnic Fanfare Instrument-toannounce the end of the picnic, and to let everyone knowthat you have at last finished the list of 49 GenealogicalUses for a Flutaphone!!

Terry is a familiar figure to many of us in the geneablogging communityfrom his "Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi" blog. Ithad some great writing and articles about Terry's part of thecountry and his memories of a lifetime there. I'm glad to see he'sback with new articles, and urge you to check it out if you haven'tdone so already!

Back when I was in high school and college I had this habit of keeping3X5 index card files in little metal boxes. One was for mythology andfolklore, and the other was for history. Back then I was enthralledby ancient, classical, and medieval history. I even copied thedynastic family trees from history books onto blank graph paper.I'm afraid many of the cards had little more than names and dateson the top line because I'd create a card for historical figures orbattles to be filled in later and it was a slow process. I only made ithalfway through the alphabet so while I didn't have much informationrecorded for Xenophon, if you wanted to know all about Artaxerxes, I wasyour man.

Time went on, and it took me away from academia after college graduation.The card files sat unused in a closet, and when this amazing machine calleda home computer eventually came along, the files were thrown out.

A few months back I gave up trying to figure out how to create a calendar ora list of the date of death of my ancestors on PAF and then RTM4. And I alsowanted to do a timeline of all the events in the lives of my ancestors wholived during the Indian wars in New England. So I went out and bought twopacks of 3x5 index cards.

They sat here on my desk for a few months.

Then the other day Elaine the computer was being fickle about startingup. While I was waiting, I saw the packs of cards and decided it was a goodway to work on genealogy while waiting on Elaine. First I did the timeline,using the printed copies of blogposts I've done for the past year. There'sstill more to add to it from posts from earlier years but quite a bit of it isalready done.

Then I took out the binders with printouts of family groups and startedmaking cards for the death dates of my direct ancestors. As I went througheach one, I'd take a card, write the month and day on the top, then skipa line, then write the year and the ancestor's name. If I came across anotherancestor who'd died in a different year with the same month and day, Iskipped a line, wrote down the year and then the name. So in other words,if one person died on Jan 1 1800 and another died on Jan 1 1917, they areboth on the card with the header, "Jan 1". I've gotten pretty far along onthis now, too.

Not rocket science I know, but it passed the time and I enjoyed it. It gave metime to consider some of the family relationships and to make note of familygroups that need fleshing out.

I asked this question already over on Facebook but I'll do it again here:any other geneabloggers using old fashioned 3x5 cards in their research?

Friday, October 30, 2009

before voting closes for Family Tree Magazine's "Top 40 GenealogyBlogs". You can cast your vote for the genealogy blogs you feeldeserve the honor here. footnoteMaven has thoughtfully provideda list of links to each of the nominees and you can use that to helpmake a decision if need be.

And if you should decide to vote for "West in New England" inthe Personal/Family category, I thank you.

And thanks once more to those whose votes got me into this nextstage of the competition!

John Stevens’ involvement in the struggle between Thomas Chandler and Job Tylerbegan in the fall of 1667 and he had difficulties right from the start:

“Complaint of John Stevens: that when he attached cattle taken by execution from Thomas Chandler and in the possession of Col. Crowne, the latter abused him, saying that he would make him an example for all the constables in New England for attaching cattle in the highway, etc. One Post of Oborne drove them away, etc.

John Stevens, constable, aged about twenty-eight years, deposed that after he attached the cattle of Job Tyler and recovered them, they came to a stand. Post, son-in-law of Tyler, who was with Col. Crowne, asked him why he did not attach the cattle when they were in the yard, etc.” (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol 3 Nov 1667 p470)

Now this Col. Crowne had been chosen by Job Tyler as one of the three arbitratorsof the dispute with Chandler, so his action here was as a supporter of Tyler. But there’snothing further in the entry about the particulars of this latest incident. Those camethe following spring in March, 1668:

"Job Tyler v. Thomas Chandler. Review. Special verdict found: that there was a bond of arbitration wherein both agreed to choose two men, and if they did not agree then a third was to be chosen; that two of the men did agree but the third did not; if two agreed and the agreement ended the case, they found for defendant, if not, for plaintiff. Court gave judgment for defendant.*

*Writ, dated Mar. 16, 1667-8, signed by Robert Lord, for the court, and served by JohnFry,constable of Andover. George Abbut, sr., surety on bond.

Copy of award of the arbitrators, Edward Denison and Isaac Johnson, copy of letterfrom Joseph Aldregh, copy of agreement between plaintiff and defendant, and copy of depositions of John Chandler and William Cleaves, made Mar. 30, 1668, by Robert Lord,cleric.

Richard Post of Woburn, aged about forty years, deposed that the marshal generalcalled at his house, 24 : 6 : 1667, to have him go to Andiver to levy the execution.Chandler said that his land was made over to Mr. Brown of Salem. The day following,the marshal being obliged to return home on account of the council sitting, gavedeponent an order to take the oxen and cows and deliver them to Job Tiler, whichhe did. But the marshal declared to Chandler before Col. Crowne that the cattle mustgo to Roxbury upon Chandler's charge before being delivered to Tiler. Then they allwent homeward as far as Shawshin river and deponent was left with the cattle.When Col. Crowne returned, he said that he was to take the cattle, and when theyreached Samuel Blanchard's house, Chandler and one Stevens, constable, camerunning after them and took the cattle by force, notwithstanding the fact that heread his deputation publicly to them, etc.

William Crowne, aged about fifty years, deposed. Sworn, 11:8: 1667, before Simon Willard.

William Park testified that he went with Job Tiller to John Chandler's house uponMar. 1, 1665, etc.

Joseph Alderegh, aged about thirty-two years, testified that Chandler came to himwith the summons on Sept. 21 or 22, 1667, as "certanly as I can recken wth out an Almanake," and told said Chandler that Job Tiler did not live there then, for deponenthad asked him to remove from his house because he needed the room which he usedfor corn. "I tould Chandeler he had noe famyly heere nor certaine place of aboade butlay some tyme at one, some tymes an other," but thought he had gone to Roxbury tohis wife, etc. Sworn, 27 : 1 : 1668, before Elea. Lusher, assistant. (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol 4 Mar 1668 p1-2)

I have to admit I was a bit puzzled by this at first. It appears that the cattle were originallyJob Tyler’s taken as surety for the court case by Thomas Chandler. I think they werethen returned to Tyler, but he again lost his case in court and were once more supposedto be given to Chandler, which is when the confrontation took place between JohnStevens and Col Crowne. I’m also puzzled as to why the marshal general wanted thelivestock driven down to Roxbury. Does “Chandler’s charge” mean at his expense?And just what was this marshal general’s name and how had he become involved inthis mess? Perhaps this was some circuitous form of revenge on Chandler by someenemies?

Lastly, Joseph Alderegh(Aldridge?) stately made me grin when I first read it. Arproto-Yankee farmer with a need for an almanac!

This last incident seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back, as I’lldiscuss in the final post of this series.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The dispute between Thomas Chandler and Job Tyler would run its course overa period of ten years. In 1665 the judgment was made against Job Tyler that hehad to pay 6 pounds and tack the placard on the meetinghouse with his apologiesfor slandering Thomas Chandler. I'd thought that was the end of the case untilthis past weekend when I found more court records.

Apparently Tyler didn't pay the 6 pounds and that led to Thomas Chandler'snext action in September of 1668 in the Essex County courts:

"Tho. Chandlour v. Job Tyler. Debt. Plaintiff made oath that he left a summons at the house of John Alldridge, where defendant had lived seven weeks. Verdict for plaintiff.

Writ: Ens. Thomas Chandler v. Job Tylar; debt; dated 27 :3 : 1667; signed by Simon Bradstreete, for the court; and served by John Stavens, constable of Andover, by attachment of two oxen, two cows and five acres of land of defendant.

Copy of Salem court record of 28 :9 :1665, concerning the same parties, made by Hillyard Veren,§ cleric.

Thomas Chandler's bill of cost, for going to Quinopeg about 140 miles from Andover out and in to serve warrant, Hi., etc., total, 4li. 6s. 4d.

Agreement, dated Oct. 29, 1665, between Thomas Chander of Andover and Job Tiler of Roxbury, to leave the settlement of their differences to arbitration, the former choosing Worshipful Mr. Bradstreet of Andover and the latter Col. Crone; in case Mr. Bradstreet refused to serve, Mr. Edward Dennison of Roxbury was to be chosen, with Capt. Johnson of Roxbury as third man, etc. Wit: Phillip Curtis and Joshua Lamb, who made oath before Anthony Stoddard,commissioner.

Letter dated Mendon, Sept. 23, 1667, signed by Joseph Aldregh, stating that he did not know where to find Tyler and that he had not been at his house.

Job Tyler testified that he never saw the warrant which Thomas Chandler sent him. Sworn, 21 : 7 :1667, before Richard Parker,f commissioner.

William Cleaves, aged about thirty-two years, deposed that he went with his brother Thomas Chandler and heard the latter tell Tyler to pay the debt to John Chandler, etc. Sworn in Boston, Sept. 21, 1667, before Edward Tyng,commissioner.

John Chandler, aged about thirty-three years, deposed that he went with his brother Thomas Chandler, etc. Also that he had never received the money. Sworn in Boston, Sept. 21, 1667, before Edward Tyng, commissioner.

Award of the arbitrators, Edward Denisonf and Isaac Johnson,f dated Jan. 26, 1665, who ordered that Job Tiler should nail up or fasten upon the posts in Andevour and Roxbury meeting houses in a plain legible hand, there to remain fourteen days. Also that whereas no fine can be sufficient for the reparation of a man's name, and considering Job's poverty and necessities, they judge that he should pay the costs, 6li.; and for saying that Chandler was a base, lying, cheating knave and had gotten his estate by cheating, and had cheated him out of 100li., he was to make public acknowledgment. Sworn by the arbitrators, 17 :7 :1667, before Anthony Stoddard, commissioner (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts ofEssex County,Massachusetts Vol II Vol 3 sept 1667 pp442-443)

So now one of my other ancestors, John Stevens, was about to become involved inthis feud and in a way one might not expect in Puritan New England.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Awhile back I posted "My Ancestor the Knave?" which contained Sara LoringBailey's account of an incident involving my ancestor Thomas Chandler, hisapprentice Hopestill Tyler, and Job Tyler, Hopestill's father. In brief, JobTyler had apprenticed his son to Chandler to learn the blacksmith's trade, thenfor some reason wanted to nullify the contract. Tyler stole the documents and destroyedthem, but then Chandler sued and won back his apprentice. A series of legal battlesbetween Tyler and the Chandlers, culminating in a ruling ordering Tyler to publiclyapologize for slandering Chandler's good name.

Recently I found the court record transcriptions of that first case as well for several ofthe subsequent ones, all of which I will post here to my blog. Here's the first casefile. Notice the description of how the Tylers stole the indenturement papers:

"June 1662

Thomas Chandler v. Job Tyler. For taking away his apprentice Hope Tyler, and detaining him out of his service. Verdict for plaintiff, the boy to be restored to his master.J

Writ, dated June 15, 1662, signed by Daniel Denison, for the court, and served by RobertLord, marshal of Ipswich, by attachment of a calf and six swine of defendant.

Search warrant, dated June 23, 1662, issued by Daniel Deniison, to the constables of Ipswich or Wenham, for the apprehension of " Hope Tiler a youth of about 13 yearesof age, who is run away from his Mr Thomas Chandler of Andouer who as I am informed is entertained by Richard Coy," and to bring him to the court at Salem, if sitting, or before said Denison to be proceeded with according to law. Theophilus Wilson, constable of Ipswich, on June 23, 1662, appointed Robert Lord, sr., his deputy.

Thomas Chandler's bill of charges, 31i. 7s.

Nathan Parker, aged about forty years, testified that about four years since, Job Tiler and Thomas Chandler desired deponent to make a writing to bind Hope Tiler, son of Job, apprentice to Thomas Chandler, which he did according to his best skill. This writing, Mr. Bradstreet afterward saw and perused and adjudged it to be good and firm. The term of years mentioned was nine years and a half and said Chandler was to teach him the trade of a blacksmith, to read the Bible and to write so far as to be able to keep a book so as to serve his turn or to keep a book for his trade, and to allow him meat, drink,washing, lodging and clothes. Deponent was to keep said writing safely, which he did for about three years, and Job Tiler often asked deponent to let him have it, but he refused, because it was agreed by both parties that deponent should keep it. Finally Moses Tilercame with John Godfrey to deponent's house, as his maid servant and children told him,when deponent, his wife and his maid were not in the house, and sent the elder of thechildren out of doors. As the younger child told deponent when he returned, they tookthe writing down, which he had stuck up between the joists and the boards of thechamber, and the child thought they burned it in the fire. And when deponent returned,he feared the writing was lost, because he certainly knew it to have been there when hewent out of the house about an hour or two before, as he had taken it from his pocketwhen he came from Mr. Bradstreete's. He had also warned his children not to meddlewith it, which he verily believed they couldnot, for he himself was forced to stand upin a chair to raise up the board to put it under. The elder boy before he was sent out ofdoors by said Moses, saw said Tiler and Godfrey look up to the place where the writingstuck and he told them that they must not meddle with the writing for their father had charged them not to do so. Deponent had never seen the writing since, and asking saidTiler and Godfrey for it, they did not deny that they had taken it down, but said theydid not have it and did not know where it was, etc. Sworn, June 16, 1662, beforeDaniel Denison.

Georg Abbott, aged about fifty years, deposed. Sworn in court.

Wiliam Balard, aged about forty-five years, deposed that about six weeks since, the house of Job Tyler being burned, he gave said Tyler's wife leave to come with her family for a time and live at his house. Her husband at that time was not at home. She accordingly did so and there remained to this date.

John Godfre deposed that he saw Moses Tyler, Goodwife Tyler being there also, take downthe indenture in Nathan Parker's house. Deponent went with them to their farm, and Moses said to him, " Godfre I haue got my Brothers indentuers and nowe lat Chandler don what he can wee will take away hope frome him and that night I see the indentuer by moesburned in the sight of his father and then he said now father you may take away hop when you will from Chandler and lat him proue a righting if he can and thay gratly Tryemped." Sworn in court."- (Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County,MassachusettsVol II pp404-405)

Job Tyler seems to have been an argumentative man. He would be involved in morelegal disputes and ironically enough many of them were with the same John Godfreywho been involved in getting the papers from Mr. Parker's house. That would culminateduring the Witch Trials some 25 years later.

And as we'll see, there would also be more court appearances in the ongoing disputewith Thomas Chandler.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

It appears Elaine my computer may be heading for a crash. One of myyounger coworkers who is wise in the ways of these matters saysit sounds like the motherboard. I shall not speak of that which Isaid at that news. I'd have to wash my mouth out with soap.

So I've been busily backing up files onto my flashdrive, and lastnight I did my monthly back up of this blog to it's mirror overon Wordpress. Other than that, not much else I can do but hunker downand hope Elaine holds out as long as possible.

Two quick reminders just in case she crashes sooner rather than later :

Don't forget to post your entry into the "Great American Local Poem " meme.You still have a month before the Nov 22 deadline.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Say, did you vote forthe 40 Best Genealogy Blogs yet over at FamilyTree?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

I mean that in a good way. I'm incredibly lucky to have found so much informationonline about my New England ancestors, especially this past year. And I keep finding more!I bookmark websites, copy documents and excerpts, then write about what I've found andpublish it here to the blog and finally add it to my genealogy programs. At times I tell myselfI need to stop looking and analyze what I already have; other times I remind myself that I'm61 years old and I don't have forever so I need to find everything I can now while I still can.And there's so much "stuff" out there I want to share with my family and friends.

I guess I'll keep on going the way I have been for now. It's a good problem to have though!

I've found the online version of one of the maps in Elinor Abbot's bookabout Andover. It's part of the University of Virginia's website on theSalem Witch trials, but it's very useful to anyone tracing family who lived inAndover at that period. I recommend using the frame version and thenenlarging it to the large size. You can zoom in one click on the map andsee the names on the map and consult the list in the left hand frame for thenames of which family members lived in which houses.

Although this map shows Andover in 1692, nearly fifty years after the foundingof the town, it illustrates Ms. Abbot's point of how the town spread out fromit's center. It also shows how some of my ancestors who came from the samepart of England(mainly the southwestern area of England) settled to the southend of town while my other ancestor Richard Barker, who came from elsewherein England, settled to the north. In fact if you look on the map across MerrimackRiver from the Shawshin Fields, you see the house of Robert Swan in the town ofHaverhill. Eventually my ancestor Jonathan Barker would marry Nancy Swan.

Check out some of the other links from the main page of the website for images ofdocuments from the witchtrials!

How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,When fond recollections present them to view!The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild wood,And every loved spot which my infancy knew;The wide-spreading pond, and the mill which stood by it,The bridge and the rock where the cataract fell;The cot of my father, the dairy house nigh it,And e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well;The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,The moss-cover'd bucket, which hung in the well.

That moss-cover'd vessel I hail as a treasure;For often, at noon, when return'd from the field,I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure,The purest and sweetest that Nature can yield.How ardent I seized it, with hands that were glowing!And quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell;Then soon, with the emblem of truth overflowing,And dripping with coolness, it rose from the well;The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,The moss-cover'd bucket arose from the well.

How sweet from the green mossy brim to receive it,As poised on the curb it inclined to my lips !Not a full blushing goblet could tempt me to leave it,Though fill'd with the nectar that Jupiter sips.And now, far removed from the loved situation,The tear of regret will intrusively swell,As fancy reverts to my father's plantation,And sighs for the bucket which hangs in the well;The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,The moss-cover'd bucket, which hangs in the well.

Samuel Woodworth was born in Scituate Massachusetts in 1784and the house and well he wrote about in the poem are stillstanding and maintained by the Scituate Historical Society.The town is about 10 miles from Abington where I live and I'veoccasionally driven by the homestead. You can read more about itat the SHS website here.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

In her book Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language and Social Identity inearly Colonial Andover Massachusetts, distant cousin Elinor Abbot includes an image anda transcription of a document known as the Faulkner List, which is a list of men whowere "free houlders" in Andover. These were colonists who were not servants and couldown land and build an estate for their heirs to inherit. I'm guessing that the term might be ashortening of "free landholder".

I wrote a short post back in January of this year about the terms "Covenant" and "Freeman".In her transcription of the Faulkner List Ms Abbot italicized the names of those men whowere the "Covenanters", the original founders of Andover. Among the names is that ofEdward Faulkner who was the first Andover town clerk and whose handwriting is believedto be that on the list. I've added asterisks after the names of those men who are myancestors:

" house The order of all the freed ^ holdersin order as they came to town:

At some point the "house" was inserted to reflect possibly a change in how the right to votewas established.

You might recognize some of my ancestor's names from previous posts. You'll be seeingmore about them as I explore the relations between the families that continued in somecases from Andover, Massachusetts up into Oxford County, Maine.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Back when I first joined Facebook the first two cousins I met there were ZacAnderson and Farrell Stewart. They are both descended from Leonidas West,the younger brother of my ancestor Jonathan Phelps West. I received wordtoday from Zac that Farrell had passed away at home last Wednesday, Oct 14th.

Farrell was already interested in genealogy and had been one of the foundersof the Yellowstone Genealogy Forum . During the brief time I knew herI got the chance to send her some of the things I'd found about our sharedAmes ancestry. She in turn shared her knowledge of the Keller line with Zac,(Leonidas West had married Valora Abbott. Their daughter Clarinda Britton Westmarried Frank L. Keller from whom Zac and Farrell are descended.) and hadyears ago corresponded with my Aunt Dorothy about family genealogy.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Back earlier this year when I was researching accounts of my ancestors' experiencesin the New England Indian wars I came across an interesting story about some ofmy Sawyer relatives. It concerned, of all things, a legend about a disappearingstone! I bookmarked it to come back to later, or so I thought, because when Iwas ready to post about it here I found I'd not saved the site location.

I began googling for the story once more but had no luck. PeriodicallyI'd renew the search but failed and I'd finally almost come to believe that thestory about a disappearing stone had disappeared itself! But tonight I finallygot lucky!

So here's a story of brothers John and Benjamin Sawyer, my fellow descendantsfrom Thomas Sawyer and Mary(Marie) Prescott:

"John was a builder, and when he was putting up a house for Charles Buck asked Benjamin to help him find a big flat stone for the hearth, probably. They found astone which by splitting would serve, but left it for another that served without splitting. Soon afterward, when another such stone was needed for another new house. John searched for the stone and to his surprise it had disappeared. Benjamin was sure he could find it, but he also failed in his search. Soon the stone reappeared, however, in the very spot where it had been first discovered. The superstitious explained the mystery of the stone that came and went, and the public came to believe that the stone marked hidden treasure. It was supposed that the ghostly guards who had to watch over the treasure got tired of their job occasionally and hid away the stone. At any rate, enough credence was given to the story of enchantment to cause many parties to dig for the fabled treasure, and the stories of their experiences add an interesting chapter to the town history."

Benjamin Sawyer lived from 1762 to 1843 and this is the only mention I'vefound anywhere of hidden treasure and a magical disappearing stone in Reading.Middlesex, Ma. It is strongly reminiscent of the folktales of England, I think.

If you're up around Reading some day, look for a stone suddenly appearing ina field and you might find some buried treasure!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The deadline for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is about 45 minutesaway and I'm still trying to come up with a piece on "My Favorite GenealogySociety." The reason it's been so difficult is that I've been a member of only one society,the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and I haven't renewed my membershipsince it expired last summer. As much as I enjoy its website and its publications, I can'tjustify the cost of yearly membership when I might only visit the NEHGS buildingonce or twice a year. This might horrify some of my geneablogging friends but I'velearned more about my family from Google Books than I have from the NEGHS.

The closest local genealogical society is the South Shore Genealogical Societywhich meets two towns over in Hanover on the second Saturday of the month fromSeptember to June. Unfortunately the meetings are at 1:30pm in the afternoonwhen I'm at work in the bookstore.

I'd like to have the time and financial stability to be an active contributing memberof a genealogical society but the harsh reality is that I work retail. I work on Saturdaysand many nights when I get out of work I just want to go home and relax. Perhapsin another five years when I reach full retirement age I'll be able to take an activepart in a society. I strongly suspect that I am not alone in having to look at it this way.

The transcriptions for the Essex County court session in Ipswich, Ma for Sept 13th,1649 include the following tidbits:

"Thomas Cooke to be whipped or fined for his abuse of the ministry and magistrates, and going into the woods at unseasonable time of night, carrying fire and liquors with him. Wit: Richard Lowle and Danyell Thirston."

The brief description of the case against Thomas Cooke give the particularsas to the "abuse of the ministry" :

"Thomas Cooke presented for saying Mr. Norton taught what was false, and also for reproaching the ordinance of baptism, saying that if he had children he would not have them so played the fools withal. Wit: Mr. Bartholomew and Joseph Medcalf. Willm. Varney bound for him."

Infant baptisms were a hotly debated topic in Puritan New England and given thelack of tolerance for opposing religious beliefs at the time the penalty could have beenmuch worse. More light is shed on the rest of the charges against Thomas Cooke byby the next case record:

"Joseph Fowlar, Tho. Scott, John Kemball and Thomas Kemball admonished [for going into the woods at an unseasonable time of the night, and carrying fire and liquor with them.— Waste Book.]"

The details?

"Joseph Fowler, Thomas Cook, Thomas Scott and two of the sons of Richard Kimball presented for going into the woods, shouting and singing, taking fire and liquors with them, all being at unseasonable time in the night, and occasioning their wives and some others to go out and search therein. Wit: Nathaniel S_______ and DanyellK______."

Now I'm a descendant of Thomas Kimball through his daughter Priscilla who married my8x grear grandfather John Eames(Ames) so this of course attracted my attention. I thoughta bit over the incident these past few days, toying with the idea that perhaps Thomas Cookhad been holding meetings of those who shared his religious beliefs and concealing themunder the disguise of some drinking party in the woods. But then I had a better thought:

Sometimes, to quote a worn cliche, it is what it is!

So I'm going to go with the simple explanation on this one: Thomas Cook, the Kimballbrothers and the others snuck out in the woods, built a campfire and passed a jug arounduntil their wives tracked them down and herded them back to hearth and home.

It might not have great historical significance but the image in my mind of chastenedhusbands makes me chuckle!

Monday, October 12, 2009

In the mid to late 19th century every region of America boasted of one ormore poets whose works reflected local history and folklore. Chances are that ourhad read some of those poems during the course of their lives.

So, my challenge to my readers is this:

1. Find a poem by a local poet, famous or obscure, from the region one of your ancestors lived in. It can be about an historical event, a legend, a person, or even about some place (like a river)or a local animal.

2. Post the poem to your blog (remembering to cite the source where you found it.)

3. Did it inspire you to research the subject of the poem and how it relates to your ancestor?

4.Submit your post's link here to me by November 22nd and I'll publish all the entries on Thanksgiving Day!

So there you have it. There's over a month until the deadline so there's plenty of timefor a Google search for poems. I'm looking forward to a great selection of Americanpoetry!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

I'm in one of those occasional periods when I've run out of "juice" so I'mbeing lazy today as far as genealogy goes. I've had a pretty busy weekposting and looking back I have a few thoughts I'd meant to include in a fewposts but forgot for one reason or another.

"Ipswich Town" -I remember when I was a kid that the Boston Globe had apage in the back of their Sunday Magazine supplement with poetry and quotations.I read "The Face on the Barroom Floor" there. I'm not sure when they stoppedrunning that page, but seeing poems like "Ipswich Town" reminded me of it.

"Where The Sun Don't Shine"and "Grave Concerns in Sumter County, Florida"-These sort of stories just infuriate me. It's bad enough we have punks with so littledecency that they damage or destroy gravestones for fun. But perhaps they drawinspiration by the way cemeteries are allowed to fall into disrepair and becomeovergrown with weeds, or ticketed to be relocated in the name of progress. Afterall, it's only dead bodies, right? What difference does it make? (I'm being sarcasticthere.)

Finally, "Another 'Tea Rebellion' "brought back a memory of my maternal grandmotherAggie who died 52 years ago today. It wasn't just Yankees who liked to drink theirtea off a saucer. Irish Catholic Aggie did too, and also liked to eat peas off a knife!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

For today's SNGF, if you choose to participate (cue the Mission Impossible music!), please:

1) Tell us about one (or more) "Satisfying Genealogy Moments" from your family history and genealogy research. What was it, and how did it make you feel? You can make a Top Ten list if you want to!

2) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on this post, or make a comment on Facebook, and tell us about your "moment in time."

So here's mine

1) This has to be when Aunt Dot gave me the West Family Bible last year. The onlything that could ever top it would be finally breaking down the John Cutter Westbrickwall or finding evidence of my Mom's family in Ireland.

2) The visit to Maine this year where I attended the Ellingwood Family Reunionand especially visiting the graves of John Cutter West, Asa and Florilla Ellingwood,and James Dunham and Sally Houghton.

4) Making contact with fellow Barker descendants Nancy Downey and HowardKaeplin who helped fill in some blanks in my Barker research.

5) Discovering online transcriptions of correspondence between the MassachusettsBay Colony Council and ancestor Simon Willard.

6) Discovering online transcriptions of correspondence between the MassachusettsBay Colony Council and ancestor Jeremiah Swain.

7) Discovering online transcriptions of Essex County Quarterly Court case recordsinvolving many of my ancestors who lived in Essex County.

Visiting those gravesites, seeing that family bible and those records, all brought home tome how long my family has been here in New England. It's given me a greater interestand appreciation for it's history.

By the way, four of these have happened this year so it's been a very good year for me!

Friday, October 09, 2009

Here's another regional New England poem from the early 20th century.This is from "Pine Tree Ballads" by Holman Day:

ANOTHER " TEA REBELLION "

When Mis' Augusty Nichols joined the TuftsMinerva Club,She polished up on manners and she then com-menced to rubAt the hide of Mister Nichols who, while notexactly rude,Was hardly calculated for a howling sort ofdude.Now when Augusty Nichols got to see howstyle was run,You bet she went for Nichols and she dressedhim down like fun;And the thing in all his actions that she couldn'tbear to seeWas to have him fill his saucer and go whoof-ling up his tea.

After more'n a month of stewing;—makingmis'able his life,She taught him not to shovel all his vittleswith his knife.And after more'n a volume of pretty spicy talkShe got him in the hang of eating pie withjust his fork.She trained him so's he didn't slop the vittlesround his plate,She plagued him till he wouldn't sit in shirt-sleeves when he ate,And then she tried her Waterloo, with faith inhigh degreeThat she could revolutionize his way of drink-ing tea.

He drank it as his father always quaffed thecheering cup,He poured it in his saucer, raised the brimmingpuddle upAnd gathered in the liquid with a loud re-sounding " Swoof "That now at last inspired Mrs. Nichols' fiercereproof.But here was where the victim—ah, here waswhere the wormArose and fairly scared her by the vigor of hissquirm,

—Sat down his steaming saucer and with adangerous lightA-gleaming in his visage, he upbore a Yan-kee's right.From the days of Boston's party up to now Ithink you'll seeThat a Yankee's independent when you botherwith his tea.

George Geder has alerted the genealogical community about another disturbingcase of a cemetery being sacrificed in the name of "progress". The LakePanasoffkee Cemetery in Sumter County, Florida is to be moved even thoughthe developer in the original land deal has decided to build their project inGeorgia instead.

Now the cemetery is a small one with what is now believed to be 50 graves ofAfrican Americans and Seminole Indians. According to an article you can readhere from the Sumter County Times, County Admistrator Bradley Arnold"said the gravesite is a family cemetery. When asked what criteria were used to establish Panasoffkee as a “family cemetery,” Arnold stated “the county holds title to the property.”

The reason for the move is "The cemetery is close to being in the middle of an industrial area that is encroaching on the present site. We are moving it.”The Sumter County Historical Society and relatives and descendants of thoseburied at the Lake Panasoffkee site have protested the move but the Countyseems determined to go ahead with it anyway.

A quick search of Wikipedia revealed that Sumter County is in a mainly ruralarea of Florida that has experienced an upsurge recently due, ironically, to thearrival of a rather large senior citizen retirement community.

It seems to be a trend lately that sites such as these are being sacrificed in thename of progress, that a people's heritage and local history mean nothing comparedto increasing the tax revenues in town and county coffers. Recently there isthe case of an Indian mound in Oxford, Alabama being used to provide landfillfor the construction of a Sam's Club. According to the Mayor of Oxford: "We want to take care of people's remains," Smith said. "That can be moved. What it's going to be is more prettier than it is today."

Right. A Sam's Club is a "more prettier" thing.

The trouble is, many of these sites are cemeteries of Indians and African Americanswho in earlier times either were not allowed to be buried in town or church cemeteriesor who preferred to be buried on ancestral lands according to their cultures' rites andbeliefs. Often they were buried in out of the way places to prevent desecration.

And now ironically the land they were buried in has become valuable and they faceremoval to another place.

As genealogists and family historians, we should do what we can to help the SumterCounty Historical Society convince the County Commission that there are some thingsmore valuable than progress. The website for the Sumter County Government is hereand there are email addresses for Mr. Arnold and the County Commissioners. Youcan also make comments to the story at the Sumter County Times website as well asvote on a poll on the subject. Perhaps some of the other Southern state historical andgenealogical societies can help the Sumter County Historical Society get the word outto the citizenry?

Folks, you might think it's no big deal. But as time goes on, more and more of us aregoing to be facing this sort of situation as businesses look to expand and localgovernments look for ways to attract tax revenue.

We need to start taking a stand now before it's our families whose graves are beingmoved.

I've added some books to my Google books library. Of course they areall old out of print 19th century local history and family genealogy books,and the ones I added last night include histories of Dracut, Groton, Harvard,Ipswich and Lancaster.

The Early Records of Lancaster, Massachsetts 1643-1725 is really a find. Myancestor Ralph Houghton and his sons and grandsons served as Town Clerkand there are many mentions of the Houghtons and others from familiesI'm descended from. Here's a break down of names followed by the number ofpages they appear on:

Houghton 100Willard 99Prescott 85Sawyer 73

While I've found the information on the early settlers and history of a town to befairly accurate, a little caution is advised especially with the sections dealingwith the family or town flourishing at the time the book was being written.Some of them have turned out to be "puffpieces".

Monday, October 05, 2009

Family Tree Magazine is running a contest to select the Top 40 GenealogyBlogs and the nominations were released today. Over 130 bloggersare competing in ten different categories and voting is going to be toughbecause there are so many fine writers on the ballot.

You can vote as often as you like here and you'll notice that youcan vote for more than one choice in eight out of the ten categories.

And of you aren't familiar with all the nominated blogs, you'll find avery helpful list of all the nominees and links to them at footnoteMaven'sblog. (She's a nominee herself, by the way!)

I'm honored (and astounded) to say that West in New England has been nominatedin the Personal/Family Category. Thanks to all my readers for your support.I greatly appreciate it!

The latest CoG is up over at Schelly Talalay Dardashti's Tracing the Tribe:The Jewish Genealogy Blog. This time around the assignment was to writean obituary for your blog should it suddenly die and my contribution wasposted here. There' s some inventive takes on the subject so visit Shelly'sblog and the follow the links to some very enjoyable reading!

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Sometimes when I'm researching my ancestors on GoogleBooksI run across some of the poetry that was popular in the 19thcentury. There were quite a few local New England poets whoare largely unknown today. One of them is James AppletonMorgan, whose poem Ipswich Town I found in the EssexAntiquarian and enjoyed how he used the local history andfolklore in writing it:

IPSWICH TOWN.

BY JAMES APPLETON MORGAN.

I love to think of old Ipswich town,— Old Ipswich town in the east countree,— Whence on the tide you can float down Through long salt grass to the wailing sea Where the Mayflower drifted off the bar, Seaworn and weary, long years ago, And dared not enter, but sailed away Till she landed her boat in Plymouth bay

I love to think of old Ipswich town,Where Whitefield preached in the church on thehill,Driving out the devil until he leaped down From the steeple's top, where they show you still, Imbedded deep in the solid rock, The indelible print of his cloven hoof, And tell you the devil has never shown Face or hoof since that day in the honest town

I love to think of old Ipswich town,Where they shut up the witches until the dayWhen they should be roasted so thoroughly brownIn Salem village twelve miles away.They've moved it off for a stable now,But there are the holes where the stout jail stood,And at night, they say, that over the holesYou can see the ghost of Goody Coles

I love to think of old Ipswich town, That house to your right a rod or more, Where the stern old elm trees seem to frown If you peer too hard through the open door, Sheltered the regicide judges three, When the royal sheriffs were after them, And a queer old villager once I met Who says in the cellar they're living yet.

I love to think of old Ipswich town,Harry Main, you have heard the tale, lived there,He blasphemed God so they put him downWith an iron shovel at Ipswich bar.They chained him there for a thousand years,As the sea rolls up to shovel it back;So when the sea cries the goodwives say,"Harry Main growls at his work today."

I love to think of old Ipswich town;There's a graveyard upon the old High street,Where generations are looking downOn the one that is toiling at their feet;Where the stones stand shoulder to shoulder liketroops,Drawn up to receive a cavalry charge. And graves have been dug in graves till the sod Is the mound of good men gone to God.

I love to think of old Ipswich town,— Old Ipswich town in the east countree,— Whence on the tide you can float down Through the long salt grass to the wailing sea, And lie all day on the glassy beach, And learn the lesson the green waves teach, Till at sunset, from surf and seaweed brown, You are pulling back to Ipswich town.

Friday, October 02, 2009

So was the Edward Berry who married Beatrice the widower of Elizabeth(Hardy)Haskell?

If my theory that Elizabeth's death occurred earlier that 1677 is correct, it'scertainly possible. It wasn't uncommon in that period for a man to remarryquickly after the death of a wife. I checked the "Early Vital Records ofMassachusetts" website and couldn't find records for either marriageor the deaths of all three people. I also googled for Berry under thethree first names "Edward", "Edmund", and "Edmond" since both menare referred to with all three names in the court records. I found genealogyand family history web site entries for each but nothing to indicate theywere really the same man

I did, however, find this:

"Edward Berry married Beatrice (Burt), who married, first, William Cantlebury of Salem; second, Francis Plumer of Newbury Nov. 29, 1665; he died Jan. 17, 1672-3 ; and she married, third, Edward Berry; they lived in Salem Village; and she died in 1683, aged eighty-three. William Sibley called her "mother," and claimed to have maintained her for eight years prior to her death. Her inventory amounted to ^181l, 18 s. She was formerly of Frampton, Dorset, England.Edward Berry, a seaman and weaver, lived in Salem, 1668-1689 , married Elizabeth, widow of Roger Haskell, before 1668; she was Mrs. Berry in 1677; he removed to Marblehead in 1678, and was there in 1679. He wasdeceased in 1693. He had a son Edward, who came to Salem from Painton,Devon, England about 1676, being a weaver and seaman, and of Salem, 1677-1706."—Records-Sydney Perley Essex Antiquarian v 9 p88

It would seem that they are two different men, but Beatrice did mention thather husband's son had abused her as well. So there's still a possibility it's thesame Edward Berry.

I'm aware I'm reaching here. But what if they were the same man? Did EdwardBerry have a pattern of marrying wealthy widows and then bullying them intohanding over control of their estate to him? It might explain Elizabeth Berry'srecanting of her first testimony and why her children apparently had alreadymoved out of the home even before William Haskell was granted legal custody.And given the outcome of Haskell case, a frustrated Edward might have usedharsher tactics when his new wife Beatrice didn't cave into his demands tonegate their prenuptial agreement.

Of course, he should have known from her past history that Beatrice was noshrinking violet!

And with that, I'll conclude my posts about Edward Berry. He wasn't my directrelative but he certainly figured prominently in the lives of those who were.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Now that we've looked at Beatrice's own less than spotless past, let'sreturn to her predicament of her third marriage.

In June 1677 Edward/Edmund/Edmond Berry was brought up oncharges before the Court. Beatrice submitted a petition detailingthe cruel conditions in which she was forced to live which readslike something straight out of Charles Dickens:

"Edmond Bery, for being distempered with drink and for abusive carriages and speeches to his wife, was fined.

Bettorice Berry's petition: "It being not unknowne to this honored Court how it hath bin with me in respect of my wofull condition with liueing with my husband Edmond Berry, who in regard of his most bitter, Inhumane& most ill becomeing carriage to me, as many of my neighbors can give Testimony. I was compelled to goe away from him; liueing where I could gett harbor. ye honord Court upon Information hereof, compelld me upon ye penalty of Fiue pounds to Hue with him againe wch as ye Lord knowes to myunexpressable sorrow hath bin now for about a Twelue month, as by Testimony Sufficient may speake for me & what shall a poor woman doe in the Case; if ye Lord doth not wonderfully help; as for matter of substance, I haue nothing of him neither haue I euer had but a very small matter euer since I was his wife, for such was & still is his absurd manner in eating his victualls, as takeing his meat out of ye pickle; & broyleing it upon ye coales, & this he would tell me I must eate or else I must fast so that if I had not reserved to my self a Little of myne owne I must haue perisht; neither will he allow me any necessary about house for decencey or that wch is absolutely needfull but am compelled to borrow of my neighbors; by wch it is evident that he exactly goes about to verifie what he hath reported; namely that he will haue my estate or elce he will make me weary of my Life; now ye honord Major Hathorne Knowes ye contract that was made between vs before marriage & acknowledgd before him; howeuer in hopes of my more comfortable liueing with him was willing to bring into ye house what I could, & did doe it; although to be sure ill bestowed upon such a person, as you may please to Judge of him in part what he is by one late Expression of his to me who when I brought to him a cup of my owne Sugar & Beare (for he will allow me nothing of his owne) and dranke to him useing these words) come husband lett all former differences be buried& trod under Foote; why should we not Hue in Loue & unity as other Folks doe, he replied to me againe, Thus; Thou old cheating Rogue; The Divell take thee if thou doest not bring me Forth this Court; but such like direfull expressing towards me are not rare with him; wch although my hard portion & very Tedious to beare, yet was rather willing to groane under it then to make a publique discovery of his wicked; & brutish carriage to me; but surely ye Lord brings him forth, & ye grand Jury had cognissance of his Impious behavior towards me & by theire act is he now presented & it is but rationall that I should speake something before yor worships for ye clearing up of myne owne Innocency, & also since ye Thing is brought forth to lay open my grievances before you althouth god knowes my mind was rather to haue borne my affection & haue waited upon him who is ye perswader of ye heart, with my poor prayers to my good god in hopes of ye worke of his grace upon his heart & soule; whereby he might be brought to see ye evill of his waves & so to carry it to me as becomes an honest man to his wife; but ye Lord in mercy Looke upon me; I am now past hopes of him; & ye onely wise god direct you what to doe with me in this my wofull case, for I am not onely continually abused by my husband,with most vile, threatening & opprobrious speeches but also his son who lives in howse with him hath in his Father's presence threatened me to throw me downe head long downe ye staires; & not onely so but he hath broken up my chest & taken away a part of that Little wch I had."

If anyone were skeptical of Beatrice's claims, she had the testimony ofseveral friends and neighbors to confirm them:

"Deborah Winter, aged about thirty-one years, testified that she had heard Edmond Berry use very reproachful terms to his wife, as bad as possibly could be spoken and when she was sick he would also then most terribly revile her. He had said that he desired it for her good and he did not care if there were a fire in the south field and she in the middle of it. Sworn in court.

Abigail White, aged about seventy-two years, testified that Berry called his wife Jezebell, cheating rogue, etc., and told her that he could not abide her, and bade her begone. Also that his wife had proffered to do what she could for him, such as to dress his victuals, wind his quills, etc., and she would entreat him to be quiet, but he was angry because she would not join her estate to his. Also when she was sick, he said that she should have nothing of him because he had nothing of hers. Deponent had tried to persuade himto live quietly with his wife but he said it was too late. Sworn in court.

Abigail Gray, aged about twenty-one years, deposed that when his wife was sick in bed and the nurse at the same time was in bed with her, Goodman Berry asked for cider. The nurse said that she would rise and get him some. Goody Berry said he had had enough already, and he replied that he would have some more or he would pull her in pieces. Sworn in court.

Writ, dated 29 : 4 : 1677, signed by Hilliard Veren, cleric, and served by Henery Skerry, marshal of Salem, by attachment of a table and a cupboard. Also summons to Mr. Resolved White and wife Abigail, Abigail Gray and Deborah Winter."-Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County,MassachusettsVol VI 1675-1678 (pp297-298)

The absence of any testimony from her own children and stepchildren isperhaps an indication of how bad her relationship with them was due to herown actions.

This transcript is the last court record I've found online for Edward/Edmund/Edmond Berry. It's quite possible there are more out there but there are only8 volumes of the Essex County Court Records on Google books. What remainsnow is the question of whether the Edward Berry of the Haskell case and theman married to Beatrice were one and the same.